


It Has To Be You

by IRL_Nagito, supurriority



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Beta Hinata Hajime - Freeform, Biting, Blow Jobs, Breeding Kink, CHAPTER FOUR SPOILERS, Cock Warming, Comfort, Enthusiastic Consent, First Dates, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nakadashi, Omega Komaeda Nagito, Pregnancy?, Riding, Rimming, Spoilers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, no dub-con here guys they’re both big gay and consent is important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21809254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IRL_Nagito/pseuds/IRL_Nagito, https://archiveofourown.org/users/supurriority/pseuds/supurriority
Summary: Sometimes, when Nagito walked by, he saw Hajime glance up at him, an expression he didn’t quite understand playing over his features as he watched the omega pass. Ever so kind, to notice someone like me, Nagito would hum to himself had he the ability, but, at the moment, everything was softened at the edges, blurred, and the air felt slow like molasses as he moved through it, but it was also warm, heavy, cloying, and there was a growing feeling of tightness under his skin. He paused just before he passed the room again.Oh.Oh,no.(Or, in other words, Nagito goes into heat and panics and Hajime’s the one that goes after him to make sure he’s okay, and everything goes from there)
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito
Comments: 26
Kudos: 516





	1. Fucking! in the Funhouse

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY so this is tagged with underage because Technically in the NWP they think they’re teenagers but they actually aren’t so it’s a little. Confusing. Whatever—

Nagito had known from the second they boarded the little train on the fourth island that it would be a mistake. He’d felt off for a while prior, the hazy aftereffects of the Despair Disease making it hard to move without stumbling, and the fact that he could distantly feel his heat approaching didn’t help him much either. While he was glad that it hadn’t happened while he was helpless with the Liar’s Disease, he isn’t much happier about knowing that it may happen while he’s trapped in an enclosed space with everyone else, which included many alphas.

Just his luck, he mentally sighed to himself as he wandered the hall aimlessly. Nagito had found that he couldn’t stay in his room for the past couple hours or so, his restlessness getting the better of his exhaustion and leading him to pace. Up and down, up and down, passing the same shifting pink patterns of the walls, upsetting vertigo. 

Every so often, he caught sight of the little room that branched off the hallway, a few of the chairs towards the back occupied by a few familiar faces. Kazuichi seemed to be fiddling with the phone as he talked, Hajime listening kindly and speaking occasionally, while Fuyuhiko had his feet kicked up and looked like he’d be in about the same mood no matter his company. 

Sometimes, when Nagito walked by, he saw Hajime glance up at him, an expression he didn’t quite understand playing over his features as he watched the omega pass. Ever so kind, to notice someone like me, Nagito would hum to himself had he the ability, but, at the moment, everything was softened at the edges, blurred, and the air felt slow like molasses as he moved through it, but it was also warm, heavy, cloying, and there was a growing feeling of tightness under his skin. He paused just before he passed the room again.

_ Oh. _

Oh,  _ no. _

Nagito finally registered just how much he was burning up, the fire itching under his skin making his clothing stick to him with sweat, and elsewhere with slick. He’d been dissociating enough that he hadn’t noticed his heat fully starting until he was already aching, itching, his body begging for relief. As quickly as he could, breath coming faster now and movements clumsy, he raced back to his deluxe room, closing the door behind him with a hiss of air. He unclipped his collar and tossed it and his jacket aside as soon as he could, grasping at and wiggling out of the rest of his clothes as fast as he could. 

Despite his fogged thoughts, he still did his best to be cleanly, and he knew that he didn’t have a change of clothes in this hell house and that he wasn’t about to get this set even more dirty.

With that out of the way, he pulled the gaudy sheets and pillows off the bed and quickly shoved them into the nearest corner that he could clear. Nagito wasn’t about to deny his instincts, and it would be better to stay somewhere where he wasn’t at risk of falling the way he would be on the bed. 

Climbing into the makeshift nest, he was quick to pull one of the largest pillows flush to him, holding it tight, breath catching at the pressure on his already hard and leaking cock. So early into his heat, he thought distantly, and he was already being so pathetic. 

Regardless of his self-loathing, he pushed himself up to where he was mostly lying on the pillow, a few others pulled to him as well, and slipped a hand back behind him after a moment’s pause. It didn’t take much to get the first finger in, nor the second, or even the third, and he was soon fucking himself near desperately on his fingers while also rolling his hips down to seek the friction that his bedding offered him. 

He was lucky that the room was soundproof, as he had already forgotten, being in no way quiet. The wet sounds of his own movements mixed with needy, loud whimpers and whines, white eyelashes fluttering and pupils blown wide.

That was the sight Hajime entered to, having given up on knocking once he remembered that the room was soundproof. Upon noticing the state Nagito was in, his eyes widened and he panicked a little, closing the door as fast as he could to protect the omega in his vulnerability. The thing was that Hajime had shut himself inside of the room as well. 

The brunet froze, hand still on the doorknob as Nagito blinked fuzzily at him, large grey eyes watching, processing. He inhaled deeply then, before whining once more, long and loud and imploring, taking his fingers out of himself and pushing himself up to all fours, eyes still fixed on Hajime.

“Hinata-kun,” he breathed, voice raspy and low and lascivious, “Hinata-kun, hey, would you help me?” He was shameless, moving a hand forward to lean himself closer, glistening fingers pressed against the carpet. The sweet smell of heat was heavy in the air, as was the scent of the slick that was dripping down the lucky student’s thighs, and Hajime felt a little overwhelmed as he averted his eyes to the ceiling and prayed for a quick death.

“I- Uh- Do you want me to… Watch you to make sure you’re alright?” He offered, before freezing up in panic once again, “I- I mean! Not  _ watch you _ but like, uh, take care of you— No, that doesn’t sound any better, shit—“

Nagito whimpered again, didn’t answer, and the wet, obscene noises resumed. Hajime determinedly fixed his gaze on a spot on the ceiling that wasn’t really that much different from the spots around it, but the way he refused to take his eyes off of it could make one think otherwise. It was the only way he could think to distract himself from looking at the source of the sounds he found just a little too attractive.

“...Do you want me to go get an alpha for you, if there’s any of them that you trust to help you with this?” Hajime finally offered hesitantly, voice a little unsteady, which he cursed himself for. 

Nagito laughed breathily, more of a few huffs than anything, and replied, “Wh-why would I ask for any of the others when, ah, when you’re here, Hinata-kun?”

Hajime almost took his eyes from the ceiling just to give Nagito a look of disbelief, but managed to stop himself as he answered. “Uh, I’m a beta, actually,” he corrected, unsure of whether it was a compliment or an insult to be mistaken for an alpha, “So, um, do you have any other choices, or..?”

Nagito growled stubbornly at that, a sound Hajime had not expected to hear from him, especially not with the way it sounded, low and rumbling. It was hard to connect that sound to Nagito, no matter how much he resembled a feral animal at times with the swirling madness in his eyes.

“No,” Nagito insisted almost desperately, the lewd sounds pausing as his fingers stilled, “No, no, Hinata-kun, Hinata-kun, it doesn’t matter if you’re an alpha or not, or a beta or not, or, or anything like that, Hinata-kun, I trust you, I want you, it has to be you, it- it has to be you- the hope inside you, it—“ He cut off into a high whimper, a shaky inhale, before the desperation returned full force and they could both hear slick  _ dripping. _

Hajime swallowed nervously, finally taking his eyes from the ceiling and looking down to Nagito again, taking in the details this time. He wasn’t unattractive, quite the opposite, pale skin flushed and soft hair messy and lips wet and swollen from being bitten, but Hajime was still hesitant despite his own clear interest. While some part of him was screaming for him to take the opportunity immediately, effectiveness be damned, he had to make sure.

“Komaeda, you know that I can’t… Satisfy you like that, right?” He asked awkwardly, doing his best to make eye contact and not look over the pale omega’s back at where his hand was still moving, four fingers now sliding in and out easily, stroking and pressing, “I don’t have, uh… The same thing that alphas do.”

Nagito made a horribly impatient sound, bleary glare meeting Hajime’s weak protest, “I know what male betas have, H-Hinata-kun, it doesn’t matter. I want you, that’s all, i-it has to be you, please, Hinata-kun…” In a mere moment, not seconds later, Nagito devolved to needy begging rather than refuting Hajime’s shaky reasoning,  _ “Please, _ Hinata-kun, I want you to fuck me, I-I want  _ you _ to fuck me, please..!”

Before he’d realized he’d made up his mind, his hand had already locked the door while the other came up to loosen his tie. “Fine,” the brunet muttered as he began to unclothe himself, cheeks burning and tone frustrated and reluctant as if he  _ wasn’t _ already painfully hard in his pants, “I-I’ll help you, god, Komaeda…”

The boy in question was whining again, having rolled over to his back in his vibrant, thrown-together nest. Hajime’s breath caught at the sight of Nagito spreading his legs wide for him, revealing a flushed, slender cock, full balls, and a twitching, soaked hole. “Shit,” Hajime mumbled to himself, fumbling a little faster with his belt, which dropped to the carpet with a thump and a gentle clatter, and his shoes and socks and pants and underwear soon followed. 

He was quick to settle between Nagito’s legs, pale ankles locking over his back and tugging him closer in a heartbeat, and Hajime leaned over the omega with hands splayed on either side of his head. “Komaeda, are you… Really sure about this?” Hajime asked again, still feeling the need to check, not quite believing what was happening, “Do you really want  _ me _ to fuck you?”

Nagito leveled him with an unimpressed look, dilated eyes squinted and brows slightly raised. “It has to be you,” he said again, bringing his clean left hand up to slide into Hajime’s mussed brown hair and then down to cup his freckled cheek, “H-Hinata-kun, it’s you I want, please, please,  _ please—“ _

“Shit,” Hajime growled again, dick twitching between his legs,  _ “Komaeda…” _ He brought a hand down to slowly slip a finger inside of the lucky student, quietly awed by the wet heat that so easily welcomed the intrusion, walls fluttering and pressing around his touch. As he pressed another one inside, he couldn’t help but groan at the idea of that feeling around something else. 

Nagito keened, pressing his hips down against Hajime’s hand, clenching and rocking and trying to get his fingers further in and closer to the spot that he  _ knew _ would make the itch under his skin subside completely, if only for a moment.

“Another one,” the omega breathed, hand coming down to wrap loosely around the beta’s wrist, pulling at it gently, “Hinata-kun, please, I need more…”

Hajime was quick to oblige, slipping another finger in, curling them to press against the smooth walls curiously, and it startled him when Nagito cried out, a loud moan that shook his body and made the boy throw back his head.

“There, there,  _ there, Hinata-kun..!” _ He cried, rocking his hips down onto Hajime’s fingers harder than before, writhing lewdly as he gasped and moaned, legs twitching against Hajime’s sides and nails sliding down to dig into tan shoulders. 

Slick poured around the brunet’s fingers, dripping to the gaudy sheets below them, but neither of them minded as Nagito cried out for more. Hajime was entranced by the sight of Nagito underneath him, writhing, his pale skin flushed and shining, chest rising and falling in a quick, shaky rhythm.

Soon, Nagito’s nails bit harder into his skin, and a sharp little breath was drawn into those shuddering lungs before he exhaled with a quiet, libidinous  _ “Fuck me, _ Hinata-kun.”

Hajime couldn’t deny him that, withdrawing his fingers quickly with a horribly filthy sound and shifting up closer between Nagito’s thighs. Though he was dazed and lured by the sweet, tempting scent of Nagito’s heat, Hajime was paused by a thought before he could so much as press his tip to the omega’s entrance.

“W-wait, uh, couldn’t you get..?” Hajime tried to ask, awkward and stilted. He’d never done anything like this before, especially not with an  _ omega in heat. _

“Pregnant?” Nagito finished, surprisingly strong legs still set on tugging Hajime closer, voice surprisingly steady besides, “I’m a little too unlucky for that right now, Hinata-kun… There’s no way that I’d be fortunate enough to be bred by you… And besides that, I’ve been on suppressants up until now, and the chances of it are even lower because you’re a beta and I’m an omega.”

With that cleared up, Nagito tightened his legs around Hajime’s waist again, craning his head up to get a little closer to Hajime, attempting to get his face into the crook of his neck, “S-so please, Hajime, I need you.”

Hajime was as startled by the use of his given name as he was aroused by the way it sounded in Nagito’s needy, low voice, and he couldn’t help a groan in his throat in response. He didn’t stop this time, pressing the head of his dick against the slick opening and marvelling at how easy it took him, and how hot and wet and  _ tight _ it was around him.

While a low gasp fell from the brunet’s lips, a full moan tore itself from Nagito’s, the omega pressing his hips back against Hajime’s until the beta was fully sheathed, and even then he didn’t stop moving, rocking down against him.

“Hajime, Hajime, please,” he babbled, breathy and loud and whorish, “Start moving, go ahead, fuck me, breed me, I need you, I want you, everything you can give me, I’m so selfish, disgusting, I want all of you, please,  _ please—“ _

Hajime wasn’t about to stop himself, shifting his hips and knees for a moment to get a good base, curling his fingers into the garish pink sheets beside Nagito’s head. He started off a little slow, his own breath stuttering with the sensation while Nagito keened and clawed at his shoulders, but, before long, Hajime was thrusting with abandon, the slap of skin on skin and panting and Nagito’s high, wanton whines filling the room obscenely. 

Overcome by some instinct he wasn’t aware he had, Hajime dipped his head and began pressing kisses and bites and licks to Nagito’s neck, only encouraged when the omega’s breath hitched and was soon followed by a pleasured groan. He was lucky that Nagito had taken off that little black choker he always seemed to be wearing, providing him full access to the snowy expanse of his throat.

Nagito tilted his head to the side, pressing his neck up against Hajime’s mouth and moaning lewdly when he was obliged with a firm bite, Hajime sucking at the skin between his teeth until it was sure to bruise, to blossom beautifully into red and purple and blue.

_ “Hajime,” _ the omega whimpered breathlessly, nails scraping down the broad expanse of Hajime’s back, fingers curling around the beta’s hips just above the swell of his ass, almost daring to slide down, but not quite there just yet. 

Hajime breathed harshly in reply, breath billowing against them silver hair of Nagito’s nape, snapping his hips forward a little more forcefully and drawing back from the lucky student’s neck, a thread of saliva breaking over the bruise.

For the first time, Hajime kissed him, a bit more abrasive than he’d likely intended, teeth clicking and mouths just a little off center, but Nagito certainly didn’t mind, pliant under the beta’s lips. He sucked Hajime’s tongue into his mouth eagerly, welcoming the intrusion and whining low in his throat as a messy mix of saliva escaped him and dribbled over his lower lip.

The brunet wasn’t in much better shape, for Nagito was a little bitey, and Hajime’s lips were quickly turned red and wet by the pressure of kissing and by Nagito’s surprisingly sharp teeth. 

When Hajime drew back with a wet noise between them, Nagito tried to chase his lips and whined when Hajime moved too far, but Hajime didn’t care at the moment, too busy looking at the debauched boy beneath him.

“Fuck,” he groaned inelegantly, hips stuttering in their rythym, and apparently he accidentally hit just the right spot again, because Nagito came with a sharp cry that echoed faintly in their closed space. Cum splattered over Nagito’s stomach and lower chest in pulses, leaving the omega whimpering and shuddering from the molten pleasure in his veins, but he didn’t soften, only twitching once he was spent, a droplet that was still stubbornly clinging to his slit shaken off.

Hajime watched him with eyes wide, thrusts uneven and slowed dramatically by the clenching of Nagito’s walls around him, bringing him almost painfully close to orgasm.

When Nagito’s ever-worshipping, ever-coruscating grey eyes— which had fallen closed when he came— opened with a couple flutters of his pale lashes and looked up at Hajime, the beta felt like a butterfly pinned to a corkboard in a good way, and when the omega whimpered a quiet plea of “Hajime”, he came undone.

He came inside Nagito with a hitching, broken moan, the loudest he’d been since they’d begun, and he could distantly hear the omega whining with him, softer and higher but undoubtedly just as euphoric. 

“Full,” Nagito practically purred at the feeling, low and pleased, pressing his hips harder against Hajime’s and stilling the beta’s shallow thrusts with his legs, “Stay… Stay there, Hinata-kun.”

Once Hajime regained his breath, he chuckled airily, slumping down against Nagito and holding most of his weight on his hands, and then on his elbows. He kissed Nagito again, who invitingly parted his lips and tried to suck Hajime’s tongue in again, but Hajime pulled back instead, making the omega whine in complaint.

“So I’m back to ‘Hinata-kun’ again, huh?” He asked, shifting his hips a little uncomfortably, sensitive, but knowing that Nagito needed something like this right now. 

Nagito might have blushed a little, though his face was already so flushed that it was hard to tell, and he murmured, “I’m sorry for calling you by your given name, I just got kind of caught up in the moment, you know?”

Hajime snorted, laughter quiet and huffed and gently amused and incredulous, “Komaeda- no,  _ Nagito, _ my dick is literally in your ass. I just came inside you. We’ve been kissing. I’m pretty sure at this point that you actually  _ were _ going to confess to me that one time. I think we can be on a first-name basis.”

At the reminder of what had just transpired and what was currently happening, he could feel Nagito tighten around him again and a wave of sweet heat-scent and arousal rolled off of him. His eyes dilated just a little more and Nagito breathed in through his mouth, tasting the musk of sex on the air and whimpering at the proof of the situation. 

_ “Hajime,” _ he breathed, and the beta knew he’d fallen to his heat again, the blatant lust in his eyes as he finally let his hands slip lower to cup Hajime’s ass and attempt to tug him forward, “Can we keep going?”

The brunet swallowed, still feeling a little sensitive and overwhelmed, and he struggled for a moment in Nagito’s hold and hissed when he managed to back up enough to pull out.

Nagito cried out immediately, the wounded whimper sounding much more heartbreaking than it had any right to, considering what he was complaining about. The omega’s growing upset was quickly quelled when Hajime slipped down to lay prone between Nagito’s legs, hands sliding up those pale thighs to push them up and back.

When his tongue flicked out against Nagito’s reddened, leaking hole, the startled moan that met Hajime’s ears made him feel almost as satisfied as orgasming had. 

Hajime continued on, pink muscle pressing into Nagito’s entrance and tasting his own cum and the other’s slick, the mixture sweet and sour on his tongue. The omega’s needy shifting, hips trying to press back against his mouth, only made Hajime more determined, fingers tightening their hold on the boy’s thighs and tearing a whimper from Nagito’s throat.

When he pulled back, he could see Nagito’s hole twitching in his absence, and he could feel himself full and heavy between his own legs, aroused once again by the flavor on his tongue and the scent in the air.

“Hajime,” Nagito pleaded quietly, leaning up and reaching down between his legs to settle a hand gently in the brunet’s hair, “H-Hajime, please, I need more…”

Hajime swallowed, wriggling forward a little and licking over Nagito’s balls and curling his tongue around the base of his shaft, smiling at the way Nagito cried out. He pressed a few messy kisses along the sides, tracing the veins with his lips, and Nagito nearly sobbed whenever he took the head into his mouth and sucked.

The beta cautiously moved one of his hands from Nagito’s thighs and slipped it down to the omega’s thoroughly used hole, slipping a couple fingers inside and gently massaging his prostate while he took Nagito further into his mouth. He was keening, loud and breathy, and it didn’t take long before Hajime’s sucking and stroking had him coming again, this time into the brunet’s mouth.

Hajime coughed a little, startled, and some viscous cum dripped from his lower lip and rolled down Nagito’s shaft, but he wasn’t deterred, stubbornly staying put and managing to swallow down the rest.

Once he drew back again, gently untangling Nagito’s thin fingers from where they had tightened in his hair upon orgasm, he looked down at the omega and licked his lips, smiling at how spent he looked, but how needy he still was, big eyes looking up at Hajime and pleading, breath coming ragged and cock still hard despite everything.

“Again,” he begged, bringing his hands down to spread himself open, hole gleaming with a mixture of slick and saliva and cum, “H-Hajime, please, I need you inside me… I-it feels so empty…” 

Hajime obliged him despite the way he could feel exhaustion trying to set in, sliding forward and wasting no time with thrusting himself inside. From where Nagito’s hands were, he could feel how his skin stretched around Hajime’s cock, wet and welcoming and pulsing obscenely for him.

Nagito was surprised when Hajime tugged him up and into his lap, arms wrapping on instinct around Hajime’s neck and his legs around his waist. The change in position had the natural curve of Hajime’s erection pressing its head against his prostate, and he couldn’t help but whimper, rocking his hips gently in Hajime’s lap, tucking his head against the beta’s neck and taking in his scent.

Unlike that of most betas, Hajime’s was sharp and dark, something of a warm spice to it, a bit of smoke, more reminiscent of an alpha than a beta, so Nagito absently supposed he could see where he made the mistake.

Gently, Hajime began rolling his hips, hands settled firmly on Nagito’s waist to keep him steady as he softly pressed and receded and kissed at Nagito’s neck. 

“Hajime,” he mumbled against tan skin, drowsy and content, arousal muted to a slow, pleasant burn, “My Hajime, my beta, so kind, radiant, full of hope… Hajime, don’t leave me. Please stay with me.”

The brunet pressed another kiss to Nagito’s skin, this time over the colorful bruise that he left, “I’m not going anywhere, Nagito, it’s alright.” He sounded a little breathless, and Nagito could feel the throbbing of his slowly shifting cock inside of him if he focused, hot and comforting and making the omega twitch with renewed arousal.

With a gentle sigh, Nagito slipped one of his hands from Hajime’s shoulder and wrapped it shakily around himself, stroking and gasping at his own touch. 

Hajime snarled, startling him, and Nagito’s hand was knocked away and replaced by one of Hajime’s. The omega was surprised by the beta’s sudden possessive aggression, whimpering against Hajime’s neck with hips shifting indecisively between moving up into Hajime’s hand and down onto his cock.

Before long, he was coming again, a broken cry that sounded almost like a sob leaving his raspy throat as he came messily over Hajime’s hand while slick gushed over the brunet’s dick.

The beta just barely hung on as Nagito’s orgasm had his insides tightening around him, pulsing, his own voice drawn to a low, stuttering gasp and he moved his hips up a little more fervently.

Nagito whined, face again buried against his neck, teeth nipping encouragingly at Hajime’s throat as he continued to press down onto his cock despite having come and flagged from exhaustion already.

Hajime came inside him again, warm cum filling Nagito to the brim, flowing down over Hajime’s dick and balls and wetting the blanket below them. The brunet shuddered for a minute with the pulses of pleasure, muscles contracting in warm, pleasant waves making his vision dance with colors until they subsided.

The omega breathed shakily against Hajime’s neck, finally latching his teeth on and sucking gently, impulsively marking his beta in return. It wouldn’t stay, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

“Hajime,” Nagito murmured, almost a whine, pressing himself as close to the brunet as he could and wrapping his arms around him again, “Thank you, thank you, glorious, beautiful, you’re wondrous, please…”

Hajime wasn’t sure what he was asking for, but he wiped Nagito’s cooling cum from his hand before sliding his arms around the omega, holding him close and warm. The lucky student made a low, satisfied sound that one could only describe as a purr, nuzzling against Hajime’s throat, wilder-than-usual hair tickling the brunet’s cheek.

“I’ll be right here, Nagito,” Hajime murmured, letting his eyes fall gently shut, “It’s alright, I’m not leaving. It’s alright.”

Nagito simply hummed, exhausted now that he was so spent, already too close to sleeping to fully understand what was going on, but he knew enough to know that he was safe and that Hajime was there for him.

The brunet carefully laid down on the least-sticky part of the nest he could find and held Nagito tight, waiting for him to fall asleep so that he could slip out without upsetting him and get them both cleaned up as well as he was able. 


	2. Drama! at the Trial Grounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Nekomaru is found dead in the tower, Hajime has to prove his and Nagito's innocence while preserving his own dignity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! This was incredibly fun to write, and I hope you enjoy!

Nekomaru’s death had everyone shaken up.

Hajime had been disoriented upon waking in Nagito’s nest on the floor, curled around the pale omega. He had believed for a moment that it was a natural waking, that his body simply didn’t want to rest anymore, but he soon found that he was wrong once he heard the final lines of the Body Discovery Announcement over the intercom.

Shit.

It took him a little while to extricate himself from the nest and coax Nagito back to resting, but once he did, he wasted no time.

Fuyuhiku and Kazuichi were surprised when he joined them in the lobby of the Strawberry House, but grateful, and things easily progressed.

Eventually, Hajime ended up inside the Final Dead Room, searching for the key to the murder. What he found was not what he expected, but it was still valuable information, and would be used well in the trial.

...That is, if everyone would settle down enough to actually discuss the case.

At the moment, Hajime was watching his classmates bicker and shoot accusations at each other with tired eyes. He’d honestly rather be back in Nagito’s room and cuddling, maybe kissing...

“Wait a minute. Where the fuck were _you_?”

Hajime jumps at the sudden accusation, meeting Fuyuhiku’s cross stare. Panic and the shock of the remark makes him fumble for words, trying to come up with an alibi without outing them both.

“I- Uh-”

“Don’t ‘I- Uh-’ me. You were in the wrong house this morning. That’s pretty fuckin’ suspicious.”

Hajime swallows, casting a brief glance over at Nagito. He can feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. Luckily, Fuyuhiku seems to have moved on.

“And _you_!” Fuyuhiku’s gaze shifts to Nagito. “Where the hell were you, you bastard?”

“Oh, me?” Nagito meets Fuyuhiko with wide, owlish eyes, his expression almost innocent.

What a load of bullshit.

“Who else, asshole? Don’t make me repeat myself. Neither of you have an alibi.”

“He’s right.” Sonia’s voice is much more calm and measured, but accusatory nonetheless. “We don’t know where either of you were at the time of the murder. Explain yourselves.”

“Oh!” Nagito perks up, looking far too happy considering their situation. “That’s easy. Can’t you smell it? I’ve been in heat, I couldn’t have done anything in my state.”

A ripple of shock runs through the trial room, and Hajime can’t help but think, not for the first time, of how wonderful it would be to not be here right now.

The shocked silence is broken by the sound of Kazuichi’s sputtering.

“Y-You _what_?!” His exclamation is met with the same confusion from the others, and the omega quickly waves his hands to brush them off.

“You really couldn’t smell it…? It isn’t even fully over.” He sighs a little, perhaps at their perceived incompetence, opening his mouth again before he’s interrupted.

“Oh, _that_ must be why you and Hinata smell so nice!” Hajime feels his brain short-circuit, his skin hot at Akane’s remark. Nagito doesn’t seem phased in the slightest, flashing a bright smile.

“Precisely! See, I couldn’t have killed Nidai because I was in heat at the time. Even if I could’ve dragged myself out of my nest to do it, my scent at the crime scene would be a dead giveaway.”

By this point, Kazuichi has pulled down his hat, muttering for Nagito to “shut the fuck up already.” Akane looks satisfied with his explanation, not at all phased by the implications of her earlier remark. Everyone else, however, seems to have caught on to the situation at hand.

“Wait a moment. If you were in heat, and Hinata has your scent…” Sonia pauses and takes a deep breath, and Hajime can’t tell if the alpha is thinking or scenting the air. “...The two of you must have been together, right?”

Hajime swears he can feel his soul leaving his body, his knuckles white from holding on to his podium.

“W-W-W- _WHAT_?!” Kazuichi looks ready to combust. "W-Why the hell would they have been together with Komaeda in heat?!"

Hajime opens his mouth to offer an excuse. God seems to hate him today, however, because Nagito's voice is quick to cut him off.

"Oh, Hinata was helping me with my heat!" His voice is far too bright and innocent for the situation at hand. Half of the remaining students recoil at his admission, and Kazuichi emits an almost inhuman exclamation.

"Wait, what the hell?!" Fuyuhiko is the first to supply a real response. Nagito offers him a simple smile, and Hajime dips his head to hide his embarrassment.

"It's just as I said. Hinata was helping me. He was with me all night, so neither of us could have been the culprit. It's quite plain to see."

"Oh, shut up! Just shut up already!" Kazuichi pulls his hat down over his ears, eyes shut tight. In a mutter, he adds, "Helping?! What is that even supposed to mean…"

"A-Alright, enough already!" Hajime's voice cuts through his whining, wavering but firm. "That's enough. Nagito and I have an alibi, it couldn't have been us, l-let's just move on."

"Nagito?" The sound of Sonia's calm, measured tone makes Hajime's blood run cold. There's a pause before she continues. "...Well, if what Komaeda said is true, I suppose it makes sense that you two are on a first-name basis…"

He's not sure that it's possible to get any more flushed, and yet here he is, ready to burst under their collective gaze. Even Nagito's eyes betray a hint of surprise. As he kicks himself for letting the omega's name slip, someone else speaks up.

"Perhaps you are innocent, as you say, but how would you fools explain not having heard the crash?" Gundham looks rather proud of his observation, staring down the two in question.

Hajime's face blanks.

"Uh… Tanaka, the Deluxe Rooms are soundproof. You were staying in one; wouldn't you know that?"

Caught off guard, Gundham sputters for an answer.

"Y-You foolish mortals, you dare to question _me_ , the Supreme Overlord of Ice?!"

"Hajime is right." The sound of his first name makes Hajime's blood run hot, especially in the voice of the omega he'd spent the night with prior. "The Deluxe rooms are completely soundproof, inside and out. Hajime and I made plenty of noise, so if they weren't, you definitely would've heard us…"

Hajime swears he can feel his brain short-circuiting again. Does he really have to say that so casually?!

A whining cry comes from Kazuichi's podium, though it seems like the others have elected to ignore it.

"That's right," Chiaki pipes up. "I was in a Deluxe Room in Grape House, and I didn't hear a thing."

"Nor did I," Sonia adds.

"Which means," Nagito speaks up again, looking thoughtful, "If you heard the noise, you must not have been in your room. Am I correct?"

For a man who's so full of things to say, Gundham is surprisingly quiet, hiding partially behind the fabric of his scarf.

"You… You fools, daring to challenge _me_ … Do you have a death wish, perhaps?"

Hajime makes a face, recoiling a bit. A death wish? That's a bit melodramatic, but then again, this is Gundham…

"Is this true? Why would you have been out of your room?" Sonia's voice seems to shake him, and he sputters out some long-winded excuse.

Bullshit, Hajime thinks.

He's quick to refute Gundham's blathering, using his own account and his knowledge from the Final Dead Room to back up his statements.

The Ultimate Breeder's execution is painful in a way, hard to watch, though the man goes into it with his head held high.

By the time all is said and done, Nagito looks ready to collapse. Their imprisonment combined with his heat and the stress of a class trial had taken a toll on him. Hajime makes his way over to the pale omega, checking him over.

"Are you feeling okay? You look awful…" He pauses, bristling a bit. "A-Ah, I didn't mean it like that, I meant-"

Nagito's gentle laugh cuts him off, bringing a flush to his face.

"I know what you mean, Hajime."

Nagito's hands grasps his, clammy and a bit shaky. A sigh slips past chapped lips. "To be honest, I'm exhausted. It's been a long few days."

Hajime nods, examining his face. He's paler than normal, sweat starting to show on his brow. Unbrushed hair is starting to cling to his skin, and he's trembling with the effort of holding himself up.

Hajime finds himself wishing Mikan were still here. She'd surely know how to help him.

Instead, he gives his omega's hand a squeeze ( _his_ omega, he thinks, no one else's) and offers him a small smile.

"Let's get you something to eat and drink," he offers. "You'll need plenty of rest, too."

"Ah, there's no need to make such a fuss over someone like me." Nagito almost looks a bit embarrassed, brushing off his caring words with the ease of someone who's done it before. Hajime frowns.

"Nagito, you look like you're about to keel over. I can't just leave you like this." For a moment, he becomes acutely aware of eyes on them, but he takes a breath and chooses to ignore them.

Something in Nagito's face softens, his eyes a bit watery. His smile wavers and then grows.

"I suppose I can't stop you, then." His voice falters, weary, and he grips Hajime's hand tighter.

Catching onto the cue, the beta nods, straightening himself up.

"Come on, then," he says, seeming a little more confident. "Let's go get you something to eat."


	3. Fucking but Make it Soft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being released from the Funhouse, Hajime and Nagito have to figure out where they stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the soft third chapter is here!! This is potentially the last chapter, but we may just go feral and write more. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Only time will tell; until then, enjoy!

After the trial ended and the remaining students were released from the funhouse, Hajime had insisted on Nagito returning to his cottage immediately. He'd brought back food from the restaurant, giving Nagito a slightly larger portion to accommodate the extra energy he'd spent during the beginning of his heat. As soon as Nagito had finished his meal, Hajime helped him into a bath, washing away the sweat and slick. The omega had seemed content, practically purring at the hands in his hair and on his skin. Hajime had insisted on helping him out, drying off his hair and wrapping him in a towel as the water drained. 

The beta sighs, sitting down on the edge of the bed. His gaze flicks around, from the floor to the books stacked on the table, and something nags at his heart, at the back of his mind. 

He's pulled from his mind by a weight beside him, the bed dipping as Nagito sits down. He's still only wearing the towel, and even though he just helped him bathe, Hajime still manages to find the sight flustering.

"Is everything alright?" Nagito tilts his head, a section of damp hair falling over his face. He looks almost like a puppy, Hajime thinks, and the idea is quite endearing. "Your face looks troubled."

The beta fidgets, looks away, looks back. Suddenly he doesn't know what to do with his hands. He clasps them in his lap and tries not to think about it.

"Yeah, ah, I just…" He pauses, looks away again, brings up one hand to rub the back of his neck. He drops it, clasps his hands again. He feels weird. Has he always been this restless? "I just wanted to… to talk to you. Ask you some things."

He glances back as something flashes in Nagito's face. Concern? Fear? He suddenly feels like he's said something wrong.

"Ah, I- I don't mean anything bad!" His hands unclasp, raise a bit, trying to be reassuring. "I was just. Um. Wondering something."

Nagito's posture relaxes somewhat, though something in his eyes still feels off. He smiles, and somehow it seems forced.

"Ah, it's alright, Hajime. You can say anything you like to me." The sentence is genuine, but it still feels wrong. Like accepting defeat. Hajime's heart sinks.

"It's not bad, I don't mean anything wrong by it, I just don't know how to say it wi-"

"Hajime, really." Nagito's voice is calm, if a little sad. "You can say anything. I won't be upset."

Okay, fuck, that's not how this was supposed to go. Hajime kicks himself for being so hesitant and not just saying what he means. He wanted this to go well, wanted it to be all smiles and cuddles. Instead, he's already pretty sure that Nagito thinks he hates him.

"What are we?" he blurts finally, the words tumbling out like an avalanche. They lay in the air, heavy as rocks, and Nagito looks almost surprised. Hajime feels his hands shaking, and he decides to spill everything before Nagito has the chance to interrupt and take his question poorly.

"I just- What happened, what we… did, that was really spur of the moment. Neither of us planned that, it just happened. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing that it did," he adds before Nagito can stop him, before what he's saying can start to weigh down the other man. "But there wasn't any… There wasn't a 'before.' There was no courtship, nothing was official, neither of us really  _ knew _ what we were doing." Something in Hajime breaks, and there's a tremor in his voice. "I didn't even know if I  _ could _ help you. I didn't know how to make you feel better, or if you even  _ really _ wanted it, or i-if it was just the heat getting to your head, if you would just- just take whatever you could get, and it just happened to be me. And I didn't think you'd want me to stick around after it was all over, o-or if I was just there for that night, because everything happened so fast, and…"

He stops long enough to take a breath, to try and calm his frazzled nerves. When he speaks again, his voice is slower, softer.

"But you said… you said it had to be me. You said you didn't want anyone else. And when everything was done, when it was all over, you held on to me. You  _ wanted _ me to stay." He sighs, shaky and long, looking down at his hands. "I guess I just… I just wanted to know if that meant anything."

The silence that falls when he stops speaking is suffocating. His chest feels heavy, and every breath aches. He can't bring himself to look up.

He hears a soft sigh from beside him, and a delicate hand on his chin makes his breath catch. He remains pliant as Nagito turns his head to make the beta look at him.

"You think that didn't mean anything?" Nagito drops his hand, and the look on his face is unreadable. "I begged for  _ you _ , I wanted  _ you _ , I held on to  _ you _ , and you think that didn't mean anything?" His face softens, and a genuine, almost playful smile tugs at his lips. "...You must be dumber than I thought."

Hajime feels his chest constrict momentarily, eyebrows twitching into a furrow. The backhanded compliment, or whatever Nagito just gave him, makes his head spin.

He doesn't get a chance to ask what he means.

"I didn't… I never said anything before, because I didn't think you'd reciprocate." Nagito shifts, wringing his hands a little. "You're so wonderful, so bright, so full of hope, I… I didn't think you could ever like someone like me, much less _love_. I don't know if I would've said anything if it hadn't been for my heat. Having you there… It felt good, it felt  _ right _ . It was spur of the moment, you're right, but I don't regret it at all. I'd do it again if given the chance."

He pauses, glancing down at Hajime's lap before taking the leap, reaching out and grabbing his hands. They're clammy, but Hajime can't think well enough to care right now.

"Just because we didn't plan for this to happen doesn't mean anything. From the bottom of my heart, I truly am in love with you." He punctuates his words with a squeeze of his hands, meeting Hajime's bewildered and flustered gaze with a soft smile.

The gears in Hajime's brain turn, then click, and the bundle of nerves in his stomach loosens. The words make him flush, but it's much better than his previous panic, much preferred to not knowing what ground he stood on.

"That's a lot just to say you love me," he replies, his voice low and soft, and he almost kicks himself as soon as the words come out. Really? Nagito says he loves him and  _ that's _ the best he can do in response?

But Nagito just laughs, wheezing and gentle, not seeming offput in the slightest.

"You already know how much I talk," he says, and Hajime relaxes. Only a bit, of course, but just enough.

"Yeah," he says softly. He feels a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I do."

Before he can really think about it, he's pressing his lips against the other's. It's gentle, sweet, different from the kisses they shared before. It makes his chest feel warm and light, and the remaining nerves dissipate.

Well, almost.

They pull apart, and Hajime's grip tightens on the omega's hands.

"I, uh…" He pauses, clears his throat. "I suppose I have to court you now, hm?" Nagito blinks at him.

"I thought that's what you've been doing?" The question makes Hajime blank, and he gives the omega a baffled look.

"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't even know you liked me until two nights ago, why would I have been courting you?"

"Well, you did come back here with me, feed me, and bathe me." The bluntness makes Hajime flush. "But before, you always talked to me when no one else did, you brought me food when I was tied up in the old building when everyone else seemed perfectly content to let me starve… Oh, and you've given me so many thoughtful gifts! I really did appreciate the vibrator, by the way."

Hajime's mind short-circuits.

"I- The- What?!" he manages to sputter, face red. He doesn't think he could form a proper sentence if he tried.

The vibrator. You don't remember?" Once he realizes that Hajime genuinely has no idea what he's talking about, he moves over to the television stand, pulling something out of a drawer.

"This. You really didn't know?" He switches it on, and Hajime feels his entire body overheat as the doll starts buzzing.

God, he really is a fucking idiot.

Nagito puts the doll away and returns to his place next to Hajime, patting his shoulder in what's meant to be a comforting gesture.

"Well, even if you didn't know, it was still a very thoughtful gift." He still feels like a complete and utter dumbass, but something about Nagito's calm smile makes him feel like it's alright.

Nagito still seems to love him, dumbass and all.

The thought actually makes him feel much better, and he calms down enough to offer a sheepish smile. Nagito perks up right away.

"Ah, there's my Hajime!" The compliment combined with the use of his first name, which he's still getting used to, is enough to turn him red all over again, grumbling out a half-assed complaint. Nagito doesn't pay him any mind, instead yawning as he leans against the beta. Hajime softens almost immediately.

"You should lay down and get some rest," he advises, looking over at him. "You're still coming down from your heat, you must be exhausted."

Nagito hums approvingly in response, though he makes no move to lay down. Hajime sighs.

"Alright, come on then." He coaxes the omega into sitting up, helping him move further back onto the bed. The omega is compliant under his hands, and he appreciates the cooperation.

As soon as he has Nagito lying down, Hajime joins him under the covers, seeming somewhat hesitant despite everything. Nagito smiles over at him and holds out his arms.

"You fucked me silly the other day, I think it's okay for you to come cuddle me." Hajime flushes at the blunt words, shutting his eyes momentarily and sighing. He's going to have to get used to that.

Still, he shifts closer, wrapping a gentle arm around his shoulders. Nagito brightens, immediately locking his arms around the beta's chest. Without a moment of hesitation, he folds himself flush against the other man, tangling their legs. Hajime stays still, allowing the omega to make himself comfortable.

As soon as Nagito is content with their position, he raises his head with an approving purr to press his lips to Hajime's.

Hajime melts into it, and allows Nagito to pry his lips open with his tongue. It swipes over Hajime’s own and presses against the roof of his mouth, an oddly ticklish sensation that has him humming against the omega.

Nagito finally pulls back with a soft gasp of breath and smiles, eyes blown wide and tongue flicking over his lips to chase the remnants of the taste of Hajime. 

The sweet smell of Nagito’s heat, which had mostly faded with the state itself receding and with the bath Hajime had given him, intensifies for a moment, almost a weight in the air. The omega ducks down and presses his face against Hajime’s neck, inhaling deeply.

“You alright?” Hajime asks, sliding a hand over Nagito’s back in small, soothing movements over the mostly smooth skin, “Nagito?”

The omega only hums, pressing a kiss against Hajime’s throat, startling the beta as he licks and sucks lightly at the spot, sharp teeth nipping gently. 

Nagito’s hands slide from Hajime’s back down to his hips, tugging him impossibly closer as he presses back against his beta, “Not over yet…”

Hajime can feel Nagito’s erection jutting against his hip, and he would be lying if he said the sensation and the scent in the air wasn’t affecting him. 

“You  _ just _ had a bath,” Hajime grumbles, but there’s not any real heat behind it as he allows Nagito to grind against him and mouth at his neck.

The omega huffs, hands slipping further down to cup Hajime’s ass, earning a muffled yelp from the beta. Nagito grinds himself more insistently against his beta, lifting a leg and curling himself up at an odd angle after a minute of shifting so that he rests further up on the bed and-  _ oh. _

Hajime can feel slickness against his hardening shaft, a soft pulsing against his skin as Nagito’s hole twitched.

“H-Hajime,” Nagito murmurs, lashes fluttering and skin flushing, “C-can I..?”

Swallowing, Hajime nods, hands holding Nagito a little tighter, “Yeah, go ahead.”

The omega wastes no time, reaching down between them to hold Hajime steady as he sinks onto him, opening easily for him, a shuddering sigh leaving his lungs. “You know, you’re bigger than most people would expect a beta to be…”

Hajime isn't quite sure how to take that. “Thanks?” He tries, and Nagito chuckles airily and shifts on the bed to press himself even closer.

The beta expects to be rolled onto his back and ridden, or perhaps tugged on top of Nagito and told to fuck him senseless again, but instead, Nagito simply ducks his head and nuzzles against his neck again, hips rocking shallowly.

He makes little breathy sounds there, huffs and gasps and whines, noises that have Hajime pressing his hips forward with more fervor than before.

Hajime is by no means quiet either, low, hitching gasps being tugged from his throat by the drag of Nagito’s warmth around him, wet and tight on his cock.

After a while, Hajime found that it didn’t escalate from there as he had expected, and it had instead slowed.

Nagito lets out a pleased little moan as he presses close to Hajime, sinking as far onto him as their position would allow and then more, pushing Hajime to lie on his back and draping himself over the beta’s supine form.

Pressing open-mouthed kisses to Hajime’s neck, he murmurs, “I really do love you, you know. Everything about you is perfect.”

“I don’t know about  _ perfect- _ “ Hajime begins, only to be cut off with a nip at his clavicle. “None of that,” Nagito chides, pressing a kiss to the light indentions made by his teeth, “I won’t let you slander yourself like that.”

Hajime bites back a retort of “you’re one to talk” and settles for holding Nagito quietly, fingers pressing and sliding over pale skin, holding himself still despite the part of him that wants to seek more friction and thrust with abandon into his omega. 

Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait for long, as Nagito soon pushes himself up with hands splayed on his beta’s hips, “I… wanted to take this more slowly, but I really want your cum in me again.”

Hajime twitches at that, and Nagito must feel it, because he laughs and raises his hips a little before pressing back down, “You seem to like this idea, so I’ll be sure to do my best, Hajime!”

He continues to be careful for a while, raising and lowering with a concentrated look on his face, but after a while his movements become more fluid and his body less stiff, and it’s clear he’s gotten into it.

Nagito’s eyes are fluttering, trying their damndest to focus on Hajime as his mouth hangs slack and panting and high moans tumble from his throat. 

“Hajime, H-Hajime,” he begins babbling breathlessly, nails biting into the brunet’s sides, “A-ahh, Hajime, hh-“

When the omega cums, Hajime isn’t far behind, the pulsing, constricting warmth around his dick coaxing his own orgasm from him. 

He can feel it leak around the base of his shaft, free of a knot’s natural blockage. For a moment, Hajime feels bitter, but the feeling is soon dismissed when Nagito collapses over him, face buried in the crook of his neck. 

“I’m-“ Nagito is cut off by a yawn, stuttered and drawn out by his breathlessness, “I’m tired, Hajime… Could we sleep like this? Please?”

Hajime doesn't have to think long to answer, “Of course. Get some rest, okay? I can bring you some extra food in the morning, or you can come to the restaurant yourself if you’re feeling better.”

The omega hums blearily, pressing a last, lazy kiss to Hajime’s skin before soon drifting off, eyes feeling too heavy to stay open.

Hajime strokes a hand down Nagito’s bare back, affectionately feeling warm skin and firm rises of bone under his palm, and he carefully shifts to press a kiss to Nagito’s temple and murmurs, “I wish you could see yourself the way that I see you.”


	4. Fucking around but not literally this time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh Shenanigans, Date, and Big Gay, that is all

Hajime had been content to wake up with Nagito in his arms, albeit more than a bit sticky and uncomfortable. After Nagito had been roused by the morning announcement, Hajime ushered him into the bathroom for yet another bath, this time reluctantly joining him. Nagito had insisted on washing his hair for him, perhaps in return for Hajime cleaning him twice now, and he didn't have the heart to argue with him.

After they were both sufficiently clean, Hajime got them both dry, helping the omega into a set of clean clothes. Not wanting to return to his own dirty clothes, he accepted a temporary outfit at Nagito's prompting, but only after insisting that they stop by his own cabin before going out.

As soon as Hajime was sure that Nagito was really feeling well enough to be out and about ("I'm fine," he'd insisted, flashing a smile that made him melt, "You've been taking  _ such _ good care of me, I'm feeling much better."), they went out, taking their planned pit stop at Hajime's cabin to let him change.

Heading up the stairs to the restaurant seems to wear Nagito out a bit, but he's quick to brush off Hajime's fussing, insisting that he'll be okay. Only mildly satisfied with the reassurance, Hajime shakes his head and leads him in.

He lifts his head, preparing a greeting to the others.

He never gets the chance to say it.

"Hajime, what the  _ fuck  _ were you guys thinking?!"

He recoils slightly at Kazuichi's shout, bewilderment taking over his features. All he did was walk in the room; what was he so pissed about?

"W- _ Wha- _ "

"Are you guys  _ crazy _ ?! You can't have a kid  _ now _ , not while we're stuck on this stupid island!"

Hajime can't even process the remark well enough to come up with a response.

"What the hell are you talking abo-"

"Don't act like you don't know!" Kazuichi looks halfway between fuming and pissed. "You knocked up Komaeda! That's what happens when you sleep with an omega in heat!"

Oh. That's what this is about. He feels a sigh rising.

"Oh my God, Sou-"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be off this island before I can have them!" Nagito's perky voice cuts him off before he can clarify.

Hajime feels his brain shut down.

Kazuichi is quick to cover his ears, pulling down his beanie, cowering and shouting, “Shut up, shut up! I don’t wanna hear about it! You guys  _ are _ crazy!”

Fuyuhiko, who was smart enough to know that what Kazuichi had said was wrong and had been ignoring it at first, whips around at Nagito’s confirmation, “What the  _ fuck? _ Hinata, did you really go and get this bastard pregnant? It’s bad enough that you guys fucked, but now you’re going to be fucking teen parents! Jesus fucking Christ!”

Hajime could feel his soul leaving his body, and he didn’t respond, too busy trying to convince himself that he was still back in Nagito’s cottage, comfortable and asleep.

“It’s alright,” Nagito assures them, curling a hand protectively over his stomach in a way that has Kazuichi screaming, “I feel very lucky to have such an honor like this… Some hope in the midst of all this despair.”

Hajime stares at Nagito in a way that he hopes expresses the fear and confusion and pleading he is feeling at the moment. He really needs an explanation.

“So you and Hinata are going to have a child?” Sonia interjects delightedly, clapping her hands with sparkles in her eyes, “That’s wonderful! We simply  _ must _ have a baby shower! In Novoselic, it’s held three weeks from the announcement, to give the attendants ample time to gather thoughtful gifts! It truly is a pity I cannot gift you traditionally…”

Nagito laughs, moving to the table laden with food as he does so, beginning to gather himself a plate, which is noticeably much more full than what he had usually gotten before the funhouse. “That’s alright! I’m honored you’d even do so much as acknowledge someone like me.”

Sonia’s smile becomes a little strained at the self-deprecation and the subtle reminder of the omega’s concerningly homicidal tendencies, but that doesn’t stop her. “Splendid!” The alpha exclaims, “I will start as soon as I am able!”

The pale boy smiles and nods to her before sitting down in his usual spot, and Hajime is quick to sit next to him, leaning in close to his ear and whispering hurriedly, “You aren’t actually pregnant, are you?”

Nagito stifles a chuckle, turning to whisper into Hajime’s ear, raspy and warm in a way that Hajime hates himself for finding attractive in a moment like this, “No, I just thought it would be funny to go along with it. I wasn’t disappointed by the reactions. Please don’t tell them yet? I want to see how long I can keep this going, it’s the most innocent fun I’ve had in years already.” 

The brunet can’t help but find himself stifling a laugh, rolling his eyes, “You’re… You’re ridiculous. Fine.”

Nagito turns to beam at him, and Hajime leans forward on impulse to press a kiss to his cheek, which has the omega’s cheeks flushing and his smile widening and Kazuichi screaming, “PDA! PDA! Gross!”

Hajime, though a bit embarrassed, ignores the exclamation, stepping away instead to go grab his own plate. 

He doesn’t take long to return, taking a seat across from Nagito. Just as he starts to dig into his breakfast, Chiaki takes a seat beside him, setting down her own plate. Nagito opens his mouth to greet her, but he doesn’t manage to get out the words.

“Are you really pregnant?” She doesn’t sound accusatory, instead seeming calmly curious. Almost genuinely concerned, but not quite. 

Hajime casts a glance to Nagito, looking for permission, receiving a smile and a slight nod in response.

“No, he’s not really,” Hajime replies, turning back to her. “Nagito says he’s having fun with it, so I’m kind of just… letting him do whatever.”

Chiaki visibly relaxes, offering him a smile in return. “Ah, I see. Have fun, then.”

Hajime huffs with a light jab at Nagito’s side that has him giggling, “Someone’s going to have fun alright, but I can’t say it’ll be me.”

Nagito is grinning as he bites into a slice of buttered toast, and Hajime rolls his eyes good-naturedly before starting to eat his own breakfast, Chiaki joining soon after.

“What else are you guys doing today?” She asks after a moment, sipping at her apple juice, “I think I’m going to be hanging out with Sonia… Since you guys are boyfriends now, are you going to go on a date today?”

It hits Hajime then that they had done everything backwards. They had (apparently) courted, had sex, and then they officially became boyfriends and confessed, and they still haven’t even been on a date. 

“Yeah,” Hajime answers soon after coming to terms with it, “I’m going to take Nagito out, I think it’ll be nice.”

Nagito turns a wide-eyed expression to him, this having been the first he’d heard of plans for the day. Hajime smiles back, despite the fact that he still doesn’t know exactly what they’re going to be doing for the said date.

Maybe the library? Nagito loves to read, and he’d definitely enjoy it, but they’ve been cooped up for the past few days… Maybe it would nicer to go outside? Hajime’s thoughts immediately wander to a picnic in the park, but they’re eating at the moment, so that’s a no. 

Perhaps..?

Hajime makes up his mind, and taps Nagito’s shoulder, “Hey, you have a bunch of blankets in the library, right?” He’d gone looking for Nagito before, and occasionally found him in the back of the library, curled up in a little nest of blankets and a couple pillows that he’d probably dragged out of storage somewhere with a stack of books beside him and another in his hands. 

Nagito nods, brows furrowed, “Yes, I made a small nest in the library, I like the atmosphere and proximity to the books, why do you ask?”

“What if we went by the library, got some books and blankets, and found a pretty spot in front of the ruins to cuddle and read? Would that count as a date?” Hajime suggests, shifting a little awkwardly in his uncertainty of how Nagito would receive the idea.

The omega brightens at the idea, visibly perking up and nodding, “I think so, that would be really nice. We’d have to wash the blankets afterwards, since they’d get dirty from being on the ground, but it would be very nice.”

Hajime smiles, nods with happy finality, and turns back to his food.

Once breakfast ends, Nagito snags a water bottle from the kitchen and is immediately eagerly pulling Hajime towards the second island, spindly fingers wrapped around a tan wrist. 

Hajime allows himself to be lead, smiling with great amusement at his omega’s enthusiasm, which amplifies even more as soon as they enter the library. 

Instead of immediately dashing off for his favorite books, he leads Hajime to his nest in the back corner, eagerly slipping his shoes off and burrowing down into it, watching Hajime expectantly.

“I’ve been in one of your nests before,” Hajime laughs as he stoops to untie his converse, “Why so excited about this, Nagito?”

The omega huffs at him, brows furrowed and lip protruding in a light pout. “That was no proper nest,” he replies in explanation, patting the blankets next to him, “That one was made just for my heat, this one has more meaning. It’s in a spot that I chose out of many possibilities, with blankets and pillows that I found just for it, and I’ve been in it enough that it even smells like me. It’s like a little home.”

Hajime settles into it with a slightly anxious smile, sitting down beside Nagito and easing a little when the omega leans against him, chin snug on his shoulder, “See? It’s comfortable.”

The beta hums in acknowledgement, turning his head for a moment to press his lips to Nagito’s cheek before standing abruptly. “Think you can pick another spot for right now, then?”

Nagito springs back up and smiles, a happy flush on his cheeks from the kiss, “Of course! Could you gather the nest? I’ll get some books, I have a feeling you like mystery and fantasy and adventure…” He wanders off to the shelves, mumbling to himself thoughtfully as he browses, fingertips brushing almost reverently over the spines. 

Hajime smiles after him for a moment before setting to work, carefully gathering the blankets and pillows that made up Nagito’s nest. He knows how protective omegas are about things like this, well aware that they had a lot of meaning and were a place of security for them, so being allowed to do this was a little terrifying, but the bubbling feeling in his chest was happiness as well.

There are more blankets than he had expected, and he has to fold them carefully to be able to carry both the stack of them and the pillows. When he turns around, Hajime finds Nagito watching him with a stack of books in his hands, smiling softly in such a way that it has Hajime scowling exaggeratedly with a blush on his cheeks. 

“C-Come on then,” the beta huffs, starting towards the door with his armful, and Nagito chuckles before following after. It thankfully doesn't take long to get to the ruins, and Nagito is quick to dart ahead, long legs carrying him with surprising ease, and he soon finds a spot where he turns in a circle for a moment before nodding happily.

“Here!” He calls, and Hajime loyally comes and sets down his armful of nest material. Nagito sets aside his stack of books and eagerly takes to the blankets and pillows, moving and rearranging and fluffing and tucking. 

Hajime watches with a measure of intrigue as the omega meticulously arranges his nest. He hadn’t known how much effort was put into something so simple, how carefully placed each blanket was within the layers and how each pillow was placed to ensure that the nest had the perfect shape.

Once Nagito was satisfied, he took off his shoes and stepped into his nest, laid down and spread his arms invitingly.

“Hajime,” he chimes happily, “Come on, can I read to you?” The beta doesn’t waste any time, stooping down to take off his shoes before crawling into the nest and curling against his boyfriend’s side.

Nagito grins and nuzzles against Hajime’s neck for a moment before reaching over for one of his books and sitting up, scooting so that Hajime was partially on his lap and smiling at him.

“I’m sorry if what I picked isn’t to your liking,” Nagito confides, flicking through the pages to get to the start of the story, “I tried to find something as interesting and humorous as I could. I’m also sorry if my voice ends up being grating, I know it’s not the best but I thought it would be fun and more intimate to read to you, so that it’s even more like a date..”

“I bet it will be, and your voice isn’t grating,” Hajime assures, bringing a hand up to scoldingly pinch Nagito’s thigh, “I like your voice. It might be kind of atypical, but it’s not bad. As for the date thing, I think that sounds reasonable. I’ve never been on one before this, so I can’t say if that’s a normal thing to do, but I like it.”

The omega flushes and smiles, thumbing at the pages between his fingers as his eyes read over the first paragraph, and he looks back down to Hajime for a moment. “Let me know when to start reading.”

The brunet takes a moment to adjust himself so that he was laying more comfortably, head in Nagito’s lap with an arm loosely curled around his waist, and he lets his eyes close before he answers, “Go ahead.”

Nagito dives into the story with enthusiasm, the fantastical exposition rolling off his tongue with practiced ease, not once tripping over itself as he weaves the words into the air. Hajime later finds that he even does his best to attempt voicing the characters, and while he’s no professional, Hajime finds his enthusiasm extremely endearing.

Inhaling absently the scent of the Nagito and his nest and the island around them, Hajime finds that this is the most relaxed he had been since coming to these islands. He’s grateful for that reason and many others, and he curls a little closer. 

They stay like that together until the sun starts to set and Nagito has drained his water bottle.

They stop by the restaurant first for dinner, and Hajime can’t help but feel relieved that the others aren’t present. They eat comfortably together, discussing the book with a gentle camaraderie. Like Hajime had thought, he enjoyed the book that Nagito picked, and Nagito promised to continue reading it to him another time after a little coaxing. 

Once they finished eating, Hajime insists on taking their dishes to the kitchen and cleaning them himself, a bit of repayment for how Nagito took over hosting their date. The omega is reluctant to let him, but he can’t deny Hajime’s smile or his lips on his cheek.

After the brunet finishes, he gently takes Nagito’s hand with a light flush on his cheeks that is nothing but endearing, and they walk back to Nagito’s cottage together after stopping by Hajime’s for some of his clothes.

Upon arriving at Nagito’s cottage, the omega is quick to pull Hajime into the shower with him, as has become custom, and once out he changes into his nightwear and burrows under his covers. Hajime chuckles before joining him, sliding an arm to curl over his hip.

Nagito immediately presses himself up against his beta, sliding a bit further down on the bed so that he can tuck his face beneath Hajime’s chin.

It’s idle and quiet for a while, the silence filled with gentle breaths and the sound of Hajime’s hand rustling the covers where it slides up and down Nagito’s back in a light caress.

“Are we..” Nagito pauses, “Are we mates?”

Hajime’s surprised by the sudden question, but he can’t deny that it’s kind of an important one. Before he can answer, Nagito continues in a mumbling ramble.

“I’m not completely sure what that entails, but I’ve seen a lot about it in books, and we’ve been behaving rather like what I’ve read mates to be like, and we did mark each other on that first night. I’ve just been thinking about it, and it makes me feel kind of happy and… scared at the same time. I’ve also read that some alphas keep their omegas marked at all times, and I think that would be pretty nice.”

Hajime flushes at the last part and its implications, but the rest has him smiling, albeit a little bashfully, “I, uh… I don’t know too much about it either, but it does sound pretty nice. I’d... I’d like to call you my mate, Nagito.”

The omega makes a strangled sound and presses his face more insistently against Hajime’s throat, making it impossible for Hajime to look down to see his expression.

“...It’s been a long time since I’ve loved someone like you,” Nagito murmurs against his skin, the words nearly as quiet and delicate as the beats of a butterfly’s wings, “I haven’t called anyone my family before, I don’t think. I never really had a proper one. I’m so honored that you’d include me in yours.”

Hajime squeezes him softly in a one-armed hug, smiling even though his mate (his  _ mate! _ ) can’t see it. “I’m glad, Nagito. I love you too. Also, I’m not going to keep you marked like that, that’s embarrassing.”

The omega chuckles, the sound so light that Hajime could dare to call it a giggle, and Hajime can feel his eyelashes flutter against his neck. 

“With this little shenanigan I have going, I’ve also been thinking,” Nagito confides, “...What if we really did have a family someday, after we get off of this forsaken island? Would you want that?”

The brunet takes a moment to imagine it, and is taken aback by how much the mental image makes his heart ache. Simple domesticity with Nagito and a child of their own, away from all of this mess of murder and mistrust. A warm home and bright laughter and things like cuddling on the couch and watching movies and playing make-believe games with a kid that looks just like the both of them.

Hajime finds himself hoping they would have Nagito’s eyes.

“I’d want that,” he answers quietly, holding Nagito a little closer, and the stubborn piece of hope for escape from these accursed islands that clung tight to his heart felt stronger than ever, “I’d absolutely want that. Would you?”

Nagito sighs silently with what Hajime could dare to imagine as relief before answering, “Yes. It worries me, because there’s still my luck and that could hurt you or hurt them, but… I still want that. It’s selfish of me. I’m horrible.”

“You’re not horrible, and it’s not selfish,” Hajime scolds, pinching Nagito’s hip and earning a startled yelp that he finds a bit too cute, “You just want to be happy. Trust me, I won’t let anything bad happen.”

Nagito doesn’t reply, but Hajime knows that he doesn’t believe him. Even for all the omega’s self-loathing, he believes and trusts in the power of his luck. With a silent sigh, the beta resolves to work on that.


End file.
